What does a financing confirmation cost?

Usually nothing. Banks issue them free of charge and without obligation, because they want to win you as a customer. You are not committing yourself to taking out the mortgage there.

How long does it take to get the confirmation?

With complete documents, often just a few working days; in more complex cases such as self-employment, one to two weeks. The bottleneck is usually you: gathering salary statements, tax returns and pension statements takes longer than the check. Build your file before you find the dream property.

Is the financing confirmation binding?

No, it is a declaration of intent, subject to conditions. The definitive commitment only comes once the bank has also checked the property: lending value, condition and documents. A seriously worded confirmation says so explicitly; for sellers it is still the strongest signal after your account balance.

Which extra documents are needed for condominium ownership?

The deed of constitution and the rules, the minutes of the last owners' meetings and the balance of the renovation fund. From these the bank reads whether renovations are pending and whether the community has saved for them, and you should read them just the same way before buying.

Huusfink Guide28 August 2026

Financing confirmation: how to convince the seller and the bank

With a sought-after property, it is not just the price that decides but the certainty that it will actually be paid. A financing confirmation from the bank turns you from an interested party into a serious buyer, and it costs nothing but preparation.

Why it carries so much weight

Sellers and agents have one main risk: that the deal collapses after weeks because the financing falls through. Present a financing confirmation and you take that risk off them almost entirely. In bidding processes it is therefore often a prerequisite, and of two similar offers, the one with the financing sorted regularly beats the higher one.

The documents the bank wants

→Income: salary statements for the last one to two years; for the self-employed, the financial statements of the last two to three years.
→Taxes: your latest tax return or assessment.
→Equity: account and custody statements, pillar 3a statements, your pension fund statement for an early withdrawal or pledge, the gift agreement for an advance on inheritance.
→You: a debt collection register extract, a copy of your ID and, for foreign nationals, your residence status.
→The property: the sales documentation, land registry extract, building insurance value, photos; for condominium ownership additionally the deed of constitution, minutes and renovation fund.

The personal documents you can prepare in full before any property is in sight. That is exactly what sets you apart on speed later: others spend two weeks hunting their paperwork together, you just add the property file and are confirmed within days.

The process

The bank checks you first: affordability at an imputed 5 %, equity including the hard 10 %, debt collection entries. If that fits, you get the confirmation for a maximum purchase price or for a specific property. The definitive credit approval only follows the property check; conservative bank estimates can still push the limit down. Get two or three offers in parallel; conditions differ even with an identical confirmation.

Stay honest about your own limit

The confirmation says what the bank will carry, not what is sensible for you. Your personal limit sits where, alongside interest, amortisation and maintenance, there is still room for holidays, reserves and life. The buying check works out precisely this limit and shows it as a bidding ladder, so that in the bidding process you are guided by your number, not by adrenaline.

Frequently asked questions

The buying check runs your property the way the bank checks it, including your personal price limit for the bidding process.

Check a property for free